Protest against people trafficking hit Semarang, Medan
Protest against people trafficking hit Semarang, Medan
2Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang
A coalition of street children, housewives, students and
activists took to the street for a rally here on Friday against
rampant people trafficking across the country.
A similar rally also took place in Medan, the North Sumatra
capital.
The rallies were held in conjunction with the signing of a
United Nations protocol to prevent or stop the trafficking of
people and to bring perpetrators to court.
Waving two large banners reading "People are not for sale" and
"Stop children and women trafficking," demonstrators in Semarang,
Central Java, urged all elements of society to say no to such
practices.
They called the illegal practice a "new form of slavery in the
era of modern society".
The demonstrators marched from the Air Mancur traffic circle
on Jl. Pahlawan in Semarang and stopped before the gubernatorial
office.
"We call for public awareness of rampant people trafficking in
the country committed by people out for their own interests. We
also call all elements of society and the government to join
hands to combat the illegal practice and bring the perpetrators
to court," said Emmy LS, coordinator of the coalition.
The coalition groups, among others, the Indonesia Against
Child Trafficking (ACTs), the Solo Brotherhood Foundation, Satara
Semarang, the Yogyakarta-based Kusuma Buana Foundation, the
Women's Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Apik) and Samen Yogyakarta.
"The government should promote policies and pursue a method to
stop the practice. And if it fails, then we call it a human
rights violation," Emmy added.
In Medan, hundreds of school-aged children also took to the
streets to criticize the local administration for its lack of
action in preventing the trafficking of children and women in the
city, Antara reported.
The rallying children were accompanied by activists from
various local non-governmental organizations involved in social
issues.
"Look into child trafficking cases" and "Don't sell your
children to irresponsible hands" were among the words written on
banners that the children carried during the rally.
An official from the North Sumatra Center of Information and
Child Education, Dedi Sofyan, disclosed on Friday that the number
of women and children being trafficked from the city to
neighboring countries was cause for concern.
"Therefore, the government and relevant parties should stop
organized crimes that victimize women and children for sexual
exploitation," he said.